Automating the full pathogen detection workflow into a single device, the test can be operated with the press of a button and is designed for onsite use by non-specialists.
On January 1, three new EU reference laboratories for foodborne and waterborne diseases became officially operational, bringing the total number to nine. These laboratories will help national public health laboratories improve testing, data quality, and outbreak preparedness related to food- and waterborne pathogens.
Supported in part by USDA-NIFA, multidisciplinary researchers and Extension professionals from U.S. land-grant institutions have collaborated under the Enhancing Microbial Safety by Risk Analysis project, completing new research, helping inform policy, and providing education and outreach.
The European Commission has published a revised guidance document on monitoring and shelf-life studies for Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods in compliance with recent amendments to Regulation (EU) 2073/2005 on the microbiological criteria for foods.
A two-year study of Southeastern U.S. watersheds confirmed that surface water harbors complex, clinically relevant Salmonella populations that differ from food animal datasets—revealing critical gaps in understanding environmental Salmonella transmission and the need for robust One Health surveillance systems.
Two research projects are investigating several novel techniques for detecting hepatitis A virus that eliminate false positives produced by inactivated, non-infectious RNA fragments—an issue that limits the usefulness of existing methods for indicating actual food safety risk.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published guidelines for reporting whole genome sequencing (WGS) data in compliance with Regulation (EU) 2025/179, which requires Member States to conduct WGS on the isolates of five important pathogens during the investigations of foodborne illness outbreaks and sets data-sharing parameters.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has published the latest National Microbiological Monitoring Program Annual Report for 2023–2024, which assesses domestic and imported food samples and industry environmental samples.
The sampling and testing project will support the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) by identifying trends and emerging risks from drug-resistant foodborne bacteria. Findings will be used to create a model that can help predict and address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) mitigation strategies.
A UK-based study, led by Quadram Institute researchers, underscores the limitations of traditional enumeration methods for foodborne pathogen surveillance and highlights the need for whole genome sequencing (WGS) to better assess the food safety risk posed by commensal or opportunistic Escherichia coli lineages.
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